A group of senior figures from football, education, youth work and public life are calling on the UK government to provide a ‘Trusted Adult Guarantee’ so that every young person in Britain has access to a role model outside their family.

The  ‘Lost Boys Taskforce’ has been convened by the charity Football Beyond Borders in the aftermath of the Netflix drama Adolescence and Sir Gareth Southgate’s Dimbleby lecture earlier this year.

The Taskforce is proposing the Trusted Adult Guarantee which would see young people – and particularly young boys – being provided with a trained, reliable and trusted adult to support their emotional, social and academic development.

VULNERABLE

The Guarantee includes government-funded training for 10,000 trusted adults in education and sport settings – focusing first on boys growing up in poverty – and a national tracking system in schools on the number of young people who have adults they can speak to when they are struggling.

Chaired by Paul Barber, Chief Executive and Deputy Chairman of Brighton and Hove Albion FC, the Taskforce was set up in response to growing concerns that a generation of boys are becoming increasingly vulnerable to dangerous ideas online without a reliable role model in the day-to-day life.

Over half a million (630,000) young people in England do not have a ‘trusted adult’ - a person who they feel safe going to outside their family. Academic research shows access to a trusted adult is one of the most significant factors in helping vulnerable teenagers with school engagement, mental health and social isolation.

Currently, however, only a tiny fraction of adults working with young people receive trusted adult training. Paul Barber OBE said: “I know from my own experience how crucial having a reliable mentor when you’re young can be. At a time when toxic influencers like Andrew Tate are filling the void for so many boys, it’s clear that too many young men feel isolated and directionless.

OPPORTUNITY

“That’s a ticking timebomb – not just for them, but for the generations that follow. By making sure every child has access to a trusted adult at school or in their community, the UK government has a real opportunity to change the lives, outcomes and potential of Britain's young people.”

Barry Fletcher, Chief Executive of Youth Futures Foundation which is part of the Taskforce, said: "Youth Futures welcomes the work of the Lost Boys Taskforce and its call for a Trusted Adult Guarantee. Trusted adult relationships are a core part of the programmes we fund to generate evidence of what works to support marginalised young people into employment; to engage young people who are further away from the labour market and facing multiple barriers, we know this is an important foundation in supporting them, particularly on those crucial early steps of their journey into work which we know can be transformational for their futures.” 

Other Taskforce members include Alastair Campbell, the former Government Director of Communications and Strategy; England men’s football team assistant manager Anthony Barry; Mark Bullingham, CEO of the English Football Association, and documentary-maker and actor Ross Kemp.

Visit the website lostboystaskforce.com

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